


The Hero Wears Toe Shoes

by bibliomaniac



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-28 04:04:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10823379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibliomaniac/pseuds/bibliomaniac
Summary: Revali is an editor at a fashion magazine, and Link is an intern with an utterly disastrous sense of style. It's a match made in heaven.





	The Hero Wears Toe Shoes

**Author's Note:**

> title is obv a ref to the devil wears prada
> 
> based off a conversation with Chimney about Link's fashion sense in a modern au and how he probably doesn't give a crap about what he wears, given that he canonically has no qualms about wearing things like the barbarian armor and now the tingle outfit
> 
> sorry i haven't written much lately, but hopefully this can tide you revalink fans over until i can manage to go back to my other fics!

As the new interns walk in to the hallowed halls of RV, Hyrule’s biggest and longest-running fashion magazine, one sticks out pretty much immediately to Revali, one of RV’s best editors. His mouth drops open.

“Saki,” he says with a forced business smile as they walk closer. “What in the Goddess’ name is _that?”_

She consults her clipboard, face somewhere between horror and amusement. “His name is Link. His writing is exceptional, but…he was wearing a suit when he interviewed, you see— _”_

They both look back at the blond boy coming closer. He’s wearing a relaxed expression, but more importantly, he’s also wearing a rather lovely baby blue cowled short-sleeved sweater, and even more important than _that,_ he’s wearing neon orange faux fur booty shorts.

And thigh highs, with sandals. That’s…clearly an important part of the ensemble as well.

Revali drags his hands through his carefully gelled hair. “Wow. Okay. I mean, we can’t just unhire him—” He pauses, looking at Saki for confirmation, who nods, definitely now on the side of ‘amused’. “So we’ll just have to educate him.”

“ _You’ll_ have to educate him, I think you mean,” his assistant drawls knowingly. He glares at her, but she just grins. “Please, he’s absolutely your type underneath that monstrosity of an outfit.” 

“That is,” he says with as much dignity as he can muster, “Entirely beside the point.”

She’s right, but that doesn’t matter. This is purely business.

“I’ll leave you all to Saki to get set up in the intern office,” he says after his introductory spiel. “Except you, Link, I’d like you to stay behind for a moment.”

The other interns all nudge each other knowingly, but follow Saki out the doors of Revali’s office.

Link stays behind, and Revali exhales. “Right. I don’t…even know where to begin, honestly, so…I’ll just say it straight out. What on earth are you wearing?”

Link blinks, looking down at his outfit. “Clothes.”

“No, Link, not clothes. An abomination.” Revali gestures at the top. “That’s nice, though what possessed you to wear a sweater in 85 degree weather is beyond me, but…what is going on with those shorts? And sandals and socks, really?”

Link runs his fingers through the fabric of his shorts, and Revali ignores how the motion basically means he’s caressing his thighs in a way that Revali wouldn’t mind doing himself. (Bad Revali. Bad.) “It’s soft. And I wanted to wear socks, but I also wanted to wear my sandals. So.”

Good Goddess, this boy has no self-awareness at all, does he. “You—okay. You clearly need some help with this aspect of your life, and I’m willing to give it to you. I am, after all,” he preens slightly, “Basically a master of the fashion industry. And given you’ll be working for a fashion magazine, my expertise is what you need.”

Link frowns. “Do I have to?”

“Yes,” Revali says firmly. “It’s for the better good.”

Link sighs, looking rather put-upon. “Fine.”

“Good. Then your first lesson: no socks with sandals, ever. I don’t care how much you want to wear them together, you just don’t. And those fur shorts should be burned or condemned or something. They are an insult to everything good and holy.”

Link makes a face, but nods.

“Read a few back issues of our magazine and come back in something more suitable tomorrow. I’ll be watching.” He waves his hand. “That’ll be all, then.”

Link trots off in the direction of the other interns, and Revali gets back to work, but his eyes are still filled with neon orange fur.

(The pants, he means, not the delectable thighs they only barely cover. Obviously. That would be inappropriate.)

Revali doesn’t really think he’ll have to do much more after that, but the next day, Link shows up in a garish floral shirt, tweed shorts with suspenders, and (horror of horrors) toe shoes. Revali gazes at the shoes, then looks up at Link accusatorily.

“What the utter crap,” he says, and Link just shrugs.

He finally resigns himself to the long haul on this one, and Link’s education begins. Revali spends their lunch breaks poring over old issues of RV and lecturing Link on what colors go together, what patterns should never be mixed, why his toe shoes should be given a nice burial and never spoken of again, and so forth. But Link keeps it up. Day by day, Revali learns even more that while Link is a soft-spoken, kindhearted, courageous person with a beautiful soul, his fashion sense is almost unthinkably atrocious.

“I just put on whatever I see,” Link says, pouting. “Why should it matter if it ‘goes together’ or not?”

“Oh, my Goddess,” Revali murmurs disconsolately, and buries his head in his hands. “You’re hopeless. I don’t know why I bother.”

The worst part of it all is that Revali can tell he’s developed a little crush on Link, awful clothes notwithstanding, and he has no idea what to do about it or if Link is even interested. He shouldn’t do anything about it, even if he could, he reminds himself for the umpteenth time. Link is his subordinate, technically, even if they don’t work directly together, and—

(But that smile, and Link’s blue eyes, and his golden hair, and his _everything._ Really, Revali is probably a little hopeless too.)

The summer passes by in that way, and soon enough, it’s the final day of the internship. They set up a little party of sorts for the outgoing interns, and Revali is alone in the conference room and sneaking a small bundt cake when he sees Link and chokes.

Link is in a beautifully tailored set of dark gray trousers, a sinfully tight blue button-up, and—Revali checks—a blissfully normal set of shoes. His hair is half pulled back, and he’s a perfect vision. 

“How do I look?” he asks, looking almost shy. 

Revali smiles, eyes soft. “Excellent.”

They stare at each other, still smiling, for a while, then Revali clears his throat. “I mean, clearly I’ve taught you well. It’s unsurprising, given I’m a wonderful teacher.”

Link tilts his head, expression assessing. “I mean, not really. I’m going to go back to dressing how I want tomorrow, but my roommate said I should test this out, just to check.”

It’s then that Revali notices that Link is moving ever closer, and his heart starts racing. “To check what?”

“That you’re as into me as I am into you.”

Revali squawks indignantly, flushing and leaning back from his position on the table, bundtlet forgotten. “I beg your pardon, I’m certainly _not—_ that would be incredibly—wait, into me?”

Link slots himself between Revali’s legs, looking up at him steadily. “Yes. Ridiculously so, my roommate says.”

“You—” Revali looks at Link’s eyes, then at his lips. “Are you being serious?”

“Very. I’m wearing my serious clothes and everything.”

Revali scrunches up his face, preparing to make some kind of comment about how that doesn’t sound very serious at all, when Link presses his lips to his wrinkled-up nose.

“Oh,” Revali breathes, surprised, and then he doesn’t breathe at all, because Link is kissing him properly, mischievous fingers coming up to frame his face and to mess up his hair.

“I guess it’s a very good thing that you’re not working here anymore,” Revali finally says after they’re both done, foreheads touching. “HR would kill me.”

“That’s what you’re thinking about?” Link asks, lips quirking at the corners.

“It’s important!” Revali defends. “And then there’s the whole power dynamic issue, and—”

“Revali,” Link says, and kisses him again. “Shut up.”

They kiss until Saki knocks on the door, smirking, and it’s then that Revali remembers that this is a glass conference room and he’s been making out with an intern.

“Don’t you dare say anything,” he grumbles to Saki.

“Oh, I’m going to say a lot of things, and you can’t stop me,” she says sweetly. “But maybe not around the young, impressionable interns, yes?”

He scowls at her with a mouth full of bundt, and she pats him on the cheek. “Charming.”

The next week, Revali and Link go out on their first date. Link shows up in a pink-wash denim vest atop a skull-adorned crop top and what appears to be a kilt and Crocs. He looks ridiculous, but really, Revali wouldn’t have him any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> ty for reading, as always! tumblr is [anuninterestingperson](http://anuninterestingperson.tumblr.com/) :)


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